I am honored to be one of your interviewees,
@Point Given. Thank you for the opportunity and I look forward to sharing a bit about myself and my interests.

1. Time for the username question! Why did you choose it? Has it always been your username, or did you go by a different one in the past?

I have used AdmiralNick22 since my first days on AOL IM way back when. It was my very first name and it is one that I have used exclusively on these boards for the entirety of my 10+ years here. As you all know by now, my real name is in fact Nicholas, hence why I go by Nick for short. The 22nd of April is my birthday, so I have always been fond on that particular number. I suppose I could of been AdmiralNick422, but simply having "22" just looked cleaner and less cumbersome. As for the admiral bit, I have been a fan/student/lover of naval history, warfare, and ships since I was a little fish. My original interest came from WWII US Navy stuff related to the Pacific campaign, but overtime this grew into a love of naval stuff in general. I think, in a lot of ways, it was my love of naval history that caused sci-fi/space opera stuff like Star Wars, Star Trek, Babylon 5, and other franchises to appeal to me so much.

2. When did you first fall in love with Admiral Gial Ackbar?

Gosh, I have been an Ackbar fan for literally as long as I can remember. I have always been a interested in great military leaders & statesmen, so in a general sense I have always liked characters in the upper echelons of a military, government, society, etc. I think I first watched the OT on VHS when I was 7 or 8 years old. Ackbar was this cool military leader, a neat alien, and for whatever reason I latched on to him! My love of Star Wars grew alongside my love of real life naval history, US history, Western Civ history, and military history, so as I was learning about real world events I was also expanding my knowledge & interest in the early years of the Expanded Universe. Even as a young kid, it isn't hard to then see parallels between factual events/peoples/places and fictional ones. My first forays into the EU where the fabulous WEG Rebel Alliance Sourcebook and my thumb worn & beloved paperback copies from 1991-1992 of the Thrawn Trilogy, as well as the New Republic Sourcebook from WEG. In all of these books, it is clear that Ackbar is the man in charge of the Rebel military and a beloved and respected leader. These early books, in conjunction with my viewing of the OT on VHS, laid the foundation for my well known affinity for all things Ackbar.

3. You're also a noted Anglophile. Was it a natural offshoot of your love for naval history? What aspects of British history are you most into?

Indeed I am! The reasons for my love of British history are varied. On one hand, as an American our history is intertwined with British history on multiple occasions, to say nothing of the fact that we were in fact founded as British colonies. So, the history major in me realizes that a full understanding of American history requires a deep understanding of British history. I think my earliest interest in British history comes from my love of WWII studies & naval history. America and Britain, as we all know, were the core of the Western Allies. The relationship between Roosevelt & Churchill is one that is so very interesting to study, as is the enduring Special Relationship between the US & UK. My love of naval history is key, as Britannia ruled the waves for centuries and great leaders like Nelson are brilliant examples of naval masters. Putting aside politics and history for a moment, I love British humour, adore shows from across the Pond, and love many of the wonderful beverages distilled or brewed there. Give me a cold (sorry British friends, the American in me still needs cold beer) Newcastle or Hobgoblin, or a fine single malt scotch any day. I am also an avid listener of the BBC World Service.

4. Are you a Playstation, Xbox or PC gamer? (If at all)

They days of me being an regular gamer are a decade gone, but in general I loved PC games. I do have a XBOX 360, which thanks to Oblivion & Skyrim I have lost many hours on, but PC games are the best. In fact, I love older PC games. I am still know to fire up a game of Rebellion, Heroes III: Of Might & Magic, or Birth of the Federation. Of course, back in the day, I played sooooo much X-wing vs. TIE Fighter, Balance of Power, and X-wing: Alliance that it is no wonder I became a Fleet Junkie.

5. I gather you're from Central California Have you lived there all your live? What's it like living there?

I am indeed a native Californian from who has lived in the state his whole life. I love living here. The costal regions of central & northern California are simply the best. I love living in an area where I am less than five miles from the beach, an hour or so from San Francisco, and five hours from Lake Tahoe. Plus the Santa Cruz Mountains flank our area of the Central Coast, which provides us with great state parks, hiking trails, fishing, hunting, and wine tasting. Take that, SoCal.

6. What do you do for a living?

I work at a company that imports frozen fruits & vegetables from all over the world. I have worked there for about eight years, doing a bit of sales & account management. I was recently promoted to be the manager of our sales services department. With great power, comes extra responsibility and less sleep.

I love living in an area where I am less than five miles from the beach, an hour or so from San Francisco, and five hours from Lake Tahoe. Plus the Santa Cruz Mountains flank our area of the Central Coast, which provides us with great state parks, hiking trails, fishing, hunting, and wine tasting. Take that, SoCal.

Let's see --- Disneyland, San Diego (Sea World + the incredible San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park), better beaches than you, Hollywood + Universal Studios, Los Angeles and its theatres, music halls, and opera houses (the LA Opera has Placido Domingo and you don't!), the Getty Museum and the Getty Villa, mountains, off-roading, all that stuff.

You may have bigger mountains and better state / national parks, but we have culture.

Let's see --- Disneyland, San Diego (Sea World + the incredible San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park), better beaches than you, Hollywood + Universal Studios, Los Angeles and its theatres, music halls, and opera houses (the LA Opera has Placido Domingo and you don't!), the Getty Museum and the Getty Villa, mountains, off-roading, all that stuff.

You may have bigger mountains and better state / national parks, but we have culture.

You live in urban sprawl that is overpopulated. You basically live on Coruscant. Which I am sure you love.

7. What were your thoughts when Disney announced the purchase of Lucasfilm? Have they changed since then?

My initial thoughts, just to give everyone an exact representation, I have relisted below from the Disney Wars thread:

AdmiralNick22 said:

Hmm. Now that I have digested the news a bit, I suppose that I can comment on the huge piece of news today.

I am excited.

Yes, the implications for the Expanded Universe I have loved and followed since 1991 is huge. The beloved stories that, for all intents and purposes, have served as Episode's 7-??? will most likely fall into a state of secondary canon that is it's own separate universe. So as a fan of these stories, I do take pause and remember how they have nurtured my love of Star Wars and kept the franchise alive for decades.

However, the future of Star Wars is bright. The Maker, George Lucas, is not directly involved. He isn't writing them. Guiding in principle, sure, but not in charge. Period. THAT is fantastic news for the franchise. Talented writers, producers, and directors will be chomping at the bit to get involved in this new post-ROTJ saga. And I for one and damned excited to see what the future of Star Wars holds. This will revitalize the franchise is ways the EU could only dream of. This ensures a vibrant and exciting Star Wars for a new generation. And BEST of all- it isn't a freaking reboot. It is a CONTINUATION.

Take heart, EU fans. Our contributions are not forgotten and may well influence this new saga. We should all be excited for this new and exciting future.

To quote Luke Skywalker from the Dark Empire saga: The Jedi Knights will rise again!

My thoughts haven't changed since. I am excited for the Sequel Trilogy and I think that many EU fans who are currently unhappy will be plesantly suprised.

8. What's your opinion of the new Legacy comics?

I am happy with the new series. The initial issue had the right vibe, established that there was a new government, and showed some old favorites like Marasiah Fel and Gar Stazi. I really like Ania Solo and her Mon Cal buddy Sauk, plus the overall artistic style is great. I do think that the series is off to a bit of a slow start, however. My fear is that if it is too much of a small scale story that it will not capture the attention of enough fans to continue. Legacy Vol. 1 opened in such a spectacular fashion- a new Sith Empire, a defeated Galactic Alliance, the Jedi Academy under siege, the death of a Skywalker- all of this made the series open with a literal bang.

So in short, I think that the series is good, the writing solid, and the art enjoyable. All we need now is a larger scale story and some additional side plots to flesh out the era a bit more.

My initial thoughts, just to give everyone an exact representation, I have relisted below from the Disney Wars thread:

AdmiralNick22 said:

However, the future of Star Wars is bright. The Maker, George Lucas, is not directly involved. He isn't writing them. Guiding in principle, sure, but not in charge. Period. THAT is fantastic news for the franchise. Talented writers, producers, and directors will be chomping at the bit to get involved in this new post-ROTJ saga. And I for one and damned excited to see what the future of Star Wars holds. This will revitalize the franchise is ways the EU could only dream of. This ensures a vibrant and exciting Star Wars for a new generation. And BEST of all- it isn't a freaking reboot. It is a CONTINUATION.

Translation: he was moved to such uncharacteristically fowl language as "freaking".